Iowa vs. Penn State Fun Facts: Gus Johnson edition

Facts? We’ve got stacks and stacks of facts for a game as stacked as No. 4 Penn State at No. 3 Iowa. Fun Facts, even.

1. Iowa is 18-4 all-time as a top-three team. The last time it was ranked as high as No. 3 was 2015 when it defeated Nebraska, 28-20. It dropped to fourth in the following poll.

2. This will be the Hawkeyes’ first top-five matchup since they were No. 3 and lost 38-17 to No. 5 USC in the Orange Bowl at the end of the 2002 season.

3. Iowa has been in two top-four matchups. No. 1 Iowa beat No. 2 Michigan in Iowa City in 1985. No. 3 Minnesota beat No. 1 Iowa in Minnesota in 1960.

4. Penn State has won its last nine games. Its last loss was 41-21 to Iowa, which has won its last 11 games.

5. Iowa has won its last five games against ranked opponents. Only Alabama (9) has a longer current streak. The Hawkeyes have won four of their last five home games against a top-five opponent.

6. This is the first year Iowa hasn’t had an 11 a.m. (CT) start in its first six games since 1989.

7. Penn State is the first team to start a season 5-0 after starting the previous season 0-5 since Tennessee in 1989.

8. Iowa forced seven turnovers at Maryland last Friday, its most takeaways in a game in the last 25 seasons. The Hawkeyes lead the nation in interceptions (12) and takeaways (15). Their 75 points off turnovers tops the nation, and is 16 more than second-place Notre Dame.

9. Kent State is second behind Iowa in interceptions with 10, but the Golden Flashes didn’t have any when they played at Iowa.

10. The Hawkeyes have held each of their last 27 opponents to 24 or fewer points, the longest streak by any FBS team since Florida State had a 30-game streak over the 1991-93 seasons and the longest by a Big Ten team since Michigan had a 28-game streak over the 1984-86 seasons. (Hat tip to Matt Benson)

11. Villanova scored more points against Penn State (17) than Wisconsin and Indiana combined (10).

12. Iowa has thrown just one interception. The only teams with none are Auburn, Baylor, Liberty, Mississippi and Western Michigan.

13. Penn State is second in the nation in red zone defense, allowing scores 53.3 percent of the time (8-of-15).

14. The Nittany Lions have allowed just six offensive touchdowns (tied for third in the nation). The Hawkeyes have surrendered just seven (tied for sixth).

15. Iowa’s Charlie Jones is tied for first in the nation in total kick-return yards with Winston Wright of West Virginia and Jha’Quan Jackson of Tulane at 404. Jones has 224 kickoff-return yards, 180 punt-return yards. Jackson has 366 and 38. Wright has 407 and minus-3.

16. Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson leads the Big Ten in touchdown catches with six. He has touchdown catches in his last eight games. He also has completed his only two pass attempts this season for 21 and 22 yards.

17. Jordan Stout of Penn State landed four punts inside the 20, recorded touchbacks on four of five kickoffs, and made a 50-yard field goal in his team’s 24-0 win over Indiana last Saturday.

18. Penn State has scored in each of its last 18 quarters.

19. Like the Iowa Hawkeyes, the Iowa (La.) High School Yellow Jackets came into this weekend with a 5-0 record and had won each game by double-digits.

20. Gus Johnson is FOX’s play-by-play announcer for this game. He worked the Hawkeyes’ 2015 Big Ten championship game. He and former Iowa men’s basketball coach Tom Davis had cameos in the Spike Lee joint “He Got Game.”